Owls have always been a mysterious symbol. They carry with them a sense of intrigue and wisdom, and they are often found in stories surrounding the supernatural.
Through time, different cultures have recognized owls as having significant spiritual meaning, and their connection to the paranormal and spiritual realm still continues today.
What does the owl symbolize spiritually? Spiritually, owls symbolize wisdom, knowledge, intuition, and transformation or change. They are also considered to be a veil to the other side, and in the right situations, they can also symbolize death, which brings about new changes.
Seeing an owl can have different meanings spiritually, and you should always take notice of the circumstances around your encounter or sighting.
Understanding the spiritual symbolism of an owl might help you work out what your owl sighting means, and how you could best interpret it.
What Is The Spiritual Meaning Of An Owl?
Owls hold a very strong spiritual symbolism. They represent wisdom, knowledge, fierce intelligence, and regal silence. It is also believed that they have a connection to the other side, and might even act as a guide for the dead into the afterlife.
As owls live mostly in the darkness, being nocturnal, they are closely tied to the supernatural, with magic and witches. Many people consider owls to be a symbol of intuition, and that seeing an owl might be a sign to trust your own more.
Their symbolism of death also goes hand in hand with their symbolism of change and transformation, of new beginnings and trusting what is to come.
The symbolism of an owl does differ between different cultures and beliefs, but there are some common threads throughout, such as being symbols of wisdom, the supernatural, death, and change.
What Does It Mean When You See An Owl In The Daytime?
Owls are nocturnal creatures, and seeing one during the daytime is a very rare event. If you do come across an owl in the wild during the day, take note of this, as it could hold some significance.
A Sign To Pay Attention
Seeing an owl in the daytime is considered to be a bit of a rude awakening from the universe, that you need to pay more attention to the world around you, and what might be happening in your life.
Coming across an owl in the daytime is peculiar, and is something that you would take notice of, which is why it is believed that it is a sign to wake up and pay more attention to your surroundings.
It could be that you have missed something important in your life, that you have overlooked something, or that something might be coming up that you should be paying attention to.
A Sign Of Imbalance
An owl, being a nocturnal creature, should not be out during the day more than absolutely necessary. Seeing one out during the day could be a sign of imbalance, as their usual routine or schedules are not what they should be.
The curiousness of an owl being out in the day shows that there might be something not right in your life, and it might even be a sign that there is something coming up that could disrupt or change your life significantly.
It is not all negative though, as this could be a sign of good things, such as a pregnancy or a marriage, which are all life-changing events.
A Sign Of Mystery
You might be left wondering why an owl was out in the daytime if you come across one, and this curiosity could represent some mystery that is going to occur in your life.
There might be a mystery or puzzle about to happen in your life, which you will have to work out on your own. Owls are also symbols of wisdom and knowledge, so this goes hand in hand with having a mystery occur.
If you come across an owl during the day, keep your eyes and ears open to anything mysterious happening!
A Sign Of Awakening
An owl out in the daytime could be a symbol of awakening and enlightenment. Being out during the day could represent that you are going to experience something different or out of the ordinary.
This could show that you are soon going to experience or see things in a new context, being able to approach things from a new perspective.
This might be just what you need to have–a new realization of the world around you and how you take things in. Being able to see things from a new perspective very well even could benefit you in the long run.
A Sign Of Uncertainty
We know that owls should not be out during the day much, they are nocturnal and most active at night. Spotting an owl in the daytime could seem out of place, and this could directly correspond to you feeling out of place and uncertain in your own life.
This could represent that you feel you are not where you should be in your life and that you need to do something to change being stuck in a stage or situation you do not want to be in.
Use the sighting of the owl to spur you into change, and into changing your life into something you want it to be.
A Symbol Of Justice
Owls are all-seeing, and some believe that owls are a symbol of justice. Being incredible hunters, owls have great intuition and always find their prey, even in the darkness.
Because of this, it is believed that seeing an owl during the day, especially if they are in a dignified stance, surveying their surroundings, is a sign that justice is soon to be served.
If there is someone in your life that has done you wrong, or there is an injustice happening close to you, there is a good chance that it will soon be solved for the best.
Different Beliefs About The Symbolism Of Owls
Owls have been symbols for spiritual meanings for thousands of years. They have always had an air of mystery and curiosity around them, and from this many different cultures and beliefs have their own ideas of what the spiritual symbolism of an owl is.
Here are some of the different symbolism of owls from different beliefs, cultures, and religions, with some of these symbolisms being passed down throughout many different generations and still being strongly believed in today.
Spiritual Symbolism Of Owls In Christianity
In Christianity, it is believed that an owl is a representation of darkness, and what you might find if you have the strength to work through the darkness. If you dream of an owl or come across different owl symbols, it could be a sign that you need to have faith to make it through dark times.
While some believe that owls might be an omen of bad things to come, others believe that owls could signify the wisdom that can be found in dark times, and that you should instead find knowledge and faith in bad times, rather than despair.
Spiritual Symbolism Of Owls In Native American Culture
Owls have been a very important symbol in Native American culture and are trusted as spiritual companions and foretellers of things to come.
It has been thought that owls could foretell future spiritual events, both good and bad. Most often, these predictions have to do with change, rebirth, and death.
They are closely tied to the supernatural, as travelers between the spiritual realm and ours, and are associated with spiritual creatures.
In Native American culture, owls are also considered to be teachers of the night, as they are often used as symbols in stories to teach children valuable lessons.
Spiritual Symbolism Of Owls In Ancient Egypt
Owls appear so often in the history of Ancient Egypt, with the owl being one of the most recognized hieroglyphs, also representing the letter M.
Even though owls represented darkness and death in Ancient Egypt, they were also celebrated for this. Their ties to the spiritual world and the supernatural made them very respected creatures, and they were often worshipped too.
They were respected, worshipped, and revered for their close ties to the spiritual world, and were known as guardians of truth and wisdom.
Spiritual Symbolism Of Owls In Feng Shui
In Chinese Feng Shui, owls were a symbol of yang, which encompasses wise, intuitive, and protective energy. Yang is positive energy or omen, and was a sign of good luck, and is effective at getting rid of negative energy, so owls were greatly revered.
When practicing Feng Shui, the owl is used to increase wisdom and intuition and is a symbol often used to promote these different factors in a workspace or an office, as the powerful energy might be too much in a relaxing room.
While popularly used to attract wisdom and good intuition, owls are also often placed near doors or windows to prevent any negative energy from entering a home, only allowing positive energy in a space.
What Does It Mean To See An Owl Flying
Consider yourself lucky if you witness an owl out during the day or night, but also take note that seeing an owl flying might be a sign of something more important.
It has long been believed that seeing an owl flying or crossing your path has a spiritual meaning, but this meaning depends on your encounter.
Here are some different ways you might encounter an owl, and what the meaning of the sighting might be.
Owl Flying Above You
If you witness an owl flying above you, it might be a sign that you need to find a new perspective of a situation, and try to look at things differently in order to obtain a better understanding of a situation.
This is quite an important sign if there is a situation in your life that is worrying you, and which makes you feel like there is no solution. It shows that you need to see things from a different angle in order to gain some wisdom or knowledge on how to make it through.
Just like the owl flying silently above you, searching for its prey, you need to work on developing your own self-awareness and inner wisdom through self-reflection and feel confident in trusting your own instincts in different situations.
Owl Crossing Your Path
An owl crossing your path is definitely a rare sighting, and it is a sign that needs to be listened to!
If you experience an owl crossing your path, it could show that you are experiencing a change in direction in your life and that new things are up ahead, but you should not just accept this to happen on its own.
You need to pay attention, and to take note of what is really happening around you. Listen to your intuition and your gut feeling, and weigh these equally with logic. The owl crossing your path is a way to grab your attention and make you focus on the decisions that lie ahead.
If you are battling to make your mind up and don’t know whether to trust your head or your heart, take the owl as a sign to give your intuition a little more attention, and for once to trust the feeling you have deep in your gut.
Prepare yourself for the change that is coming, but do so decisively and make sure that you are in control of what happens.
Hearing An Owl Hoot In The Morning
For many different cultures, it was believed that hearing an owl hoot was a bad omen, and was a sign that darkness was nearby.
Owls will hoot for a few different reasons, with one of those reasons being a warning, or setting boundaries for others close by. Hooting can act as a way to set their territory, and to scare off intruders or predators nearby.
For this reason, it is believed that hearing an owl hoot could be a sign that bad things are crossing into your territory or personal space, or that you can expect a bad omen up ahead.
This does not mean you have to sit around and wait for bad things to happen. Just like the owl hooting to ward off harm, you could set your own boundaries and put your own practices in place to ward off bad omens. Increase your energetic boundaries and surround yourself with positive and protective energy.
This could also be a preemptive warning that your boundaries are low, and that you are depleted or surrounding yourself with negativity, and to avoid having anything bad happen because of this, the hoot is a warning to build up your barriers again as a form of self-protection.
Hearing an owl hoot in the morning is something to pay attention to. You are revitalized and renewed after a night of sleep, giving you the energy to pay attention, and hearing an owl in the morning is so out of place that you just might listen.
Use this as an almost literal wake-up call to be prepared for what might come, and to ready yourself against any possible negative energies.
Significance Of Different Owls
Seeing or dreaming of different colors or types of owls have different meanings, so pay attention to the color or type of owl that you come across to better work out what the significance might be.
White Owl Meaning
A white owl represents change up ahead. White owls are a reminder that change is natural, and it is something to be expected.
Usually a good omen, if you see a white owl, you can take comfort in the fact that the bad patch you are going through might soon come to an end.
Barn Owl Symbolism
Barn owls are a symbol of intellect and wisdom and using your resourcefulness to accomplish different tasks. They signify innovation and seeing things from a different perspective, so try to think like a barn owl if you have a problem you cannot solve!
Black Owl Meaning
Many people regard black owls as ominous and as foreshadowers of bad things to come. This isn’t necessarily true, as black owls could represent negative feelings and energies that you need to change.
Seeing a black owl represents these things, but also means that you need to change this way of thinking and that you need to build up your boundaries and protection to stop any bad energies from taking control.
Grey Owl Meaning
Grey owls are beautifully mysterious and are considered to be symbols of having faith that everything will be okay. Sometimes you need to put your trust in the natural process, and not be in control of every small aspect.
If you see a grey owl, take comfort that you do not need to understand or be in control of how everything works, and just trust things will turn out fine.
Brown Owl Meaning
Brown owls are symbols of comforting energy, where you are encouraged to work on your intuition and confidence in yourself.
Seeing a brown owl means that you should take some time to work on yourself, becoming more in-tune with your intuition and inner dialogue, and trusting your feelings and energies in different situations.
Barred Owl Symbolism
Barred owls appear when it is time to rebuild bridges and offer forgiveness in a relationship that is not what it should be. It shows it might be time to rethink relationships close to you and see where and how they could be mended or made stronger.
Snowy Owl Symbolism
Snowy owls are beautiful, and their beauty is a sign of spiritual development and change. White is often associated with spiritual growth, and a snowy owl is just the same.
They symbolize the desire to be more in touch spiritually, and focus on more positive aspects of life, letting go of negative relationships and toxic energies.
Great Horned Owl Symbolism
Great Horned Owls are a symbol of confidence and wisdom and show that you should take the initiative to tackle a situation you have been battling with, and trust in your own abilities to make it through.
These owls represent strength and determination and seeing one means you should take this on for yourself.
What Does It Mean To Dream Of An Owl?
Dreams are full of spiritual symbols. They are how our minds find meaning in what is happening around us, even for situations that we aren’t fully aware of.
Dreaming of an owl holds significant meaning, and this meaning is often tied to the spiritual world. Owls in dreams are often connected to intuition and the spiritual world. Dreaming of an owl might be a sign that you need to be more in touch with your spiritual side, and put more trust in your intuition.
They also represent wisdom and truth and might signify your need to see things from a new perspective.
Some also believe that dreaming of an owl shows that change is coming, and this might be through the death of someone close to you.
In order to work out what your dream of an owl might mean, you need to look at the specific details and context of the dream, and how it might relate to what is happening in your life.
What Do Owls Symbolize Spiritually?
Owls are spiritual symbols of wisdom, knowledge, intuition, and transformation. There are many different variations of this symbolism, but most are rooted in the strong characteristics of owls being wise and intuitive.
Some symbolisms of the owl include change and transformation, often brought about by death, and some that an owl is a force to see things from a different perspective, and to put more weight on your intuition.
Whatever you believe, seeing an owl is a rare and beautiful occasion and one you should not forget!
Related Questions
Let’s address some final thoughts about these majestic creatures.
Do owls represent death?
Owls have always been tied to death, but it does not always mean the actual loss of life. As owls also represent change and transformation, the death that they represent could be spiritual, with your rebirth into a new awakening or way of living.
Owls are more aligned to transformation and change, rather than death, but often this transformation and change only happens through symbolic “death.”
Are owls a symbol of good luck?
Different cultures have various beliefs on whether owls are a symbol of good or bad luck. Many believe that seeing an owl, or a symbol of an owl, brings about a good omen.
Even the cultures that believe owls are an omen of bad luck still acknowledge that the owl works as an early warning for this, and offers ways to deal with these bad omens.
Do owls represent fertility?
There are some who believe that owls represent femininity and fertility, as they represent the moons cycle’s of renewal, being creatures of the night.
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